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Why do we need bicycle shock pumps? Because ensuring that your suspension is kept at the right pressure can be just as important as making sure your tires are set at the right pressure.
If the pressure in the suspension is too low, you will find that there is a lot of travel in the mechanical parts. Too low pressure in the rear shock can lead to damaging the bicycle frame. If the pressure is too high, the forces on the suspension will prevent it from providing the correct shock absorption and can also lead to damage to the suspension system. There are many pumps out there you can buy to keep your suspension topped up.
These are just some of the questions that you will need answers to when you are buying a shock pump. There are several areas that you can find information on in both product details and reviews, and you should take the time to read up on the information available to ensure you end up with a product that is going to meet your requirements.
Tips for Selecting Bicycle Shock Pumps
Here are some useful questions you may wish to answer before you decide on a product:
- How often will I need to top off my suspension?
- Where am I going to store the pump and does the size matter?
- What pressures does my suspension require?
- Do I need the pump to fulfil other roles as well?
Performance
A shock pump is usually going to be a specialist piece of pumping equipment as many suspension systems require very high pressures, with some needing as much as 250-300 PSI to function properly. Therefore you will need a pump that you can fit the suspension easily, and that does not take forever to pump up the suspension to the pressure required.
Nozzles and Valves
It is worth having a close look at the valve on your suspension to find out whether it is going to be easily compatible with most shock pumps or whether you are going to have to be a little more selective with your choice. Some suspension has either short or long valves, which can affect whether a pump can make a seal and pump air into the suspension. Good shock pumps will also have anti-leak chucks as it is easy to lose a large amount of pressure very quickly when working on suspension.
Size and Mounting
If you are planning on keeping your shock pump with you when you ride, you are going to want something relatively small, but that is also able to provide the high PSI you need. Therefore mounting is also going to have to be a consideration as you could mount it on the frame of your bike, or carry it in a pack.
Pressure Gauge
You are likely to find that bicycle shock pumps are not going to register pressures below around 10 PSI as this is right at the bottom of their PSI rating. They are designed for high-pressure applications, and so really, that is what you should use them for. They can potentially be used for other things, but with between a 300 and 400 PSI rating, they will not be optimized for other roles.
Applications
Bicycle shock pumps are specialized pieces of equipment that have been designed to be used at very high PSI. First and foremost, they should be used on suspension systems. Still, it is possible to use shock pumps for other applications; however, good results are not assured.
Ease of Use
Suspension valves are not quite as uniform as tire valves, and so you should always make sure that the pump you are looking at is fully compatible with the suspension valves you have. Product details often do not provide this type of information, but check out as many reviews as you can, or ask the manufacturer as they will often have this type of information. Shock pumps should be easy to use, and you should be able to connect up your pump and get your PSI up to the required level. Watch out for pressure release valve locations as sometimes these are not ideal and it can be possible to lose a great deal of pressure in a short time.
Value for Money
You can generally expect bicycle shock pumps to cost between $25 and $45. There is less of a difference between shock pumps than there is between other pumps because if the design requirements for very high-pressure operation. Cost is often related to factors such as whether the pump is folding, mounting and so on.
Check Out Bicycle Shock Pumps Reviews
| Model | Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|
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Planet Bike Shockmate Shok Pump | A top quality shock pump with a air pressure gauge. It can also serve as an emergency pump for bicycle tires. |
 4.0 |
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Avenir Bicycle Shock Pump | A very good bicycle shock pump. Besides pumping air to bicycle shocks it also has some utility for a number of other tasks as well. |
4.0 |
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RockShox High Pressure Shock Pump | A great pump with folding design for pumping up high pressure shocks. Not the best for purely low pressure use |
4.0 |
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Topeak Pocket Shock Pump | A reasonable, lightweight bicycle shock pump. Not meant to serve as a primary pump. |
 3.0 |
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Zefal Bicycle Shock Pump | A great part of any bicycle maintenance kit. Note that it is not compatible with Fox shocks. |
4.0 |
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Buzzys Pollinator Pump | A nice versatile shock pump with a folding hose and various attachments. |
4.0 |
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Topeak Shock N Roll Hand-Shock Pump | The Topeak Hand-Shock Pump is a high-performance shock pump. It might be a bit pricy. |
4.0 |
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RockShox Bicycle Shock Pump | This RockShox Bicycle Shock Pump is another in the line of high pressure suspension pumps that RockShox recently released. |
 5.0 |
Where To Buy Bicycle Shock Pumps?
If you are interested in buying bicycle shock pumps you are invited to visit these trusted online stores:
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Selected Quality Bicycle Shock Pumps